Jeanette Renouf

Dear friends,

I encourage you to read this lesson for today from the second letter of Peter. It gives us the prescription for how to live a good and godly life. He tells his readers to add goodness to their faith, and when that has been done will come knowledge, and from knowledge self-control, and from self-control will grow perseverance, which will bring godliness, then mutual affection and, of course, from mutual affection will grow love. We can see this is a process, not just something we decide-- “I am going to be loving”--but something we have to work at, to grow within ourselves. It will take time and back sliding and commitment to get there.

This is a process that takes a lifetime of effort, of awareness of who we are and what we are doing. I find it too easy to fall back into old habits, especially under stress, and then discover I am not living this godly process every day. Sometimes we resist knowledge, especially if it makes us feel uncomfortable. Some truths we would just as soon not face but we can’t move to the next level of self-control if we aren’t willing to seek knowledge. We might ask “Why self-control?” Yet, without it we witness the mayhem at the capital, shootings and lootings in our streets, all kinds of unrestrained acting out. Each level has its challenges and it doesn’t take long for my life to  get out of whack and draw my attention to how I need to get back on track.

Peter promises us that the rewards of living this kind of life are well worth the effort and I know from my own experience this is true. In this Advent time of preparation it would be good to reflect on how Peter helps us to be ready for God’s incarnation and what a world and life-changing event it can be if we just practice it. To perhaps recommit ourselves to this godly path.

In God’s Love

Jeanette Renouf